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  • Maryland Terrapins MBB Drops a Heartbreaker to No. 23 Wisconsin After Rally Attempt, 70-69

Maryland Terrapins MBB Drops a Heartbreaker to No. 23 Wisconsin After Rally Attempt, 70-69

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Basketball

The Maryland men's basketball team nearly made a record comeback, but it dropped a narrow decision to No. 23 Wisconsin Badgers, 70-69, inside the XFINITY Center on Sunday night. Down by as many as 21 points, the Terps rallied to take the lead in the second half, but weren't able to finish with the victory. The Terps (8-7, 0-4 Big Ten) was led by Eric Ayala's 19 points, all of which came in the second half as Maryland rallied.

Along with Ayala, Fatts Russell (13 points), Hakim Hart (11 points), Donta Scott (10 points), and Xavier Green (10 points) all scored in double-figures for the Terps.  Ayala and Russell combined to score 30 points in the second half after scoring a total of two points in the first half. 

After falling behind 29-8 with 8:21 remaining in the first half, Maryland went on a torrid 15-0 run to cut the lead to 29-23 with 3:16 left. Green led the Terps during the run with five points. Maryland used a 28-6 run bridging the halves to take a lead early in the second half. Maryland held a three-point lead as late as 12 minutes left in the game.

Tyler Wahl led the Badgers (13-2, 4-1 Big Ten) with a career-high 21 points, while Johnny Davis, the 4th leading scorer in the country at 22.6 points per game, scored 19 points. Wisconsin has won five games in a row.

Breaking Down The Action

  • The Terps started off slow, falling in a 29-8 hole midway through the first half, but a 15-0 run, highlighted by a four-point play from Scott, put Maryland right back in the contest. The Badgers attempted to stop regain momentum, but Maryland would enter the half down just 33-26, led by Scott's eight points.   
  • Maryland continued to play hard into the second half, with Ayala knocking down a three-pointer to give Maryland its first lead of the game at 36-35 with 15:27 left in regulation. The two teams would trade leads deep into the second half, with the game remaining a one-possession game for over 16 minutes. That would change when Wisconsin took a 62-57 lead with just over three minutes remaining. After two missed free throws from the Badgers, Ayala had a chance to win the game at the buzzer but his half-court heave came up just short. 

Double-Figure Update

  • Ayala (19 points) has scored in double-figures in 13 games this season and now has 64 in his career. 
  • Russell (13 points) hit double-figures for the 12th time this season and 88th time in his career. 
  • Hart (11 points) scored in double figures for the eighth time this season and 16th time in his career.
  • Scott (10 points) scored in double-figures for the ninth time this season and 32nd time in his career.
  • Xavier Green (10 points) scored in double-figures for the first time as a Terp. His previous season-high was three points against both Illinois (1/6/2022) and Louisville (11/27/21).

Eyes on Ayala 

  • Senior guard Eric Ayala's 19 points gives him 1227 career points as a Terp, good for 33rd on the all-time Maryland scoring list. 
  • Ayala's 19 points allowed him to pass Steve Sheppard (1219 career points) and Drew Nicholas (1221 career points). 
  • Ayala also hit four 3-pointers to give him 185 in his career, moving him to eighth on the all-time list ahead of Maryland Hall of Famer Steve Blake, who hit 182. Next on the list is Johnny Rhodes with 186. 

X Factor

  • Xavier Green played his best game as a Terp as he scored a season-high 10 points on 4of-5 shooting in a season-high 27 minutes. 
  • Green also played great defense against one of the country's best scorers, helping to hold Johnny Davis to 19 points, under his 22.6 average. 

Close Comeback

  • Maryland nearly equaled its school record for largest comeback in program history. If Maryland was able to finish off the comeback from a 21-point deficit, it would have tied the record the Terps set on March 13, 2004 when Maryland rallied from down 21 to beat NC State in the ACC Tournament Semifinals thanks to a heroic effort by John Gilchrist. 

Up Next

  • The Terps will travel to Evanston, IL, where they will take on the Northwestern Wildcats on Jan. 12 at 9 p.m.
  • The game will be broadcast on Big Ten Network and the Maryland Sports Radio Network.